Railway rail-fastening member and a railway rail and fastening assembly employing it

ABSTRACT

A rail clip is made by bending a metal bar so that one end of the bar is one end of a straight portion of the clip, further portions of the clip lead to a portion which crosses the axis of said straight portion near said one end and the other end of the bar appears to be substantially perpendicular to said straight portion. The clip can bear on a fish plate at a joint between two rails.

United States Patent Wood Oct. 7, 1975 [54] RAILWAY RAIL-FASTENING MEMBER 3,326,466 6/1967 Sanson 238/349 AND A IL RAIL N FASTENING 3,338,521 8/1967 Sanson 238/349 3,658,246 4/1972 Davies 238/349 ASSEMBLY EMPLOYING IT [75] Inventor: Thomas William Wood, Laxton,

England [73] Assignee: Pandrol Limited, London, England [22] Filed: June 4, 1974 [21] App]. No: 476,263

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 6, 1973 United Kingdom 27091/73 [52] US. Cl. 238/349 [51] Int. Cl. E01B 9/30 [58] Field of Search 238/349, 310, 151

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,297,253 1/1967 Astley 238/349 Primary ExaminerLloyd 1. King Assistant ExaminerRichard A. Bertsch Attorney, Agent, or FirmWaters, Schwartz & Nissen [57] ABSTRACT A rail clip is made by bending a metal bar so that one end of the bar is one end of a straight portion of the clip, further portions of the clip lead to a portion which crosses the axis of said straight portion near said one end and the other end of the bar appears to be substantially perpendicular to said straight portion. The clip canvbear on a fish plate at a joint between two rails.

11 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures US. Patent Oct. 7,1975 shw 1 of5 3,910,493

FIG. 3.

US. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 2 of5 3,910,493

Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 3 of 5 US. Patent US. Patent Oct. 7,1975 shw4 0f5 3,910,493

U.S. Patent 0a. 7,1975 Sheet 5 of5 3,910,493

RAILWAY RAIL-FASTENING MEMBER AND A RAILWAY RAIL AND FASTENING ASSEMBLY EMPLOYING IT This invention relates to a railway railfastening' member comprising a length of resilient metal of rod form which is bent so as to have. progressing from one end of the length of metal to the other, a first portion in the form of a substantially straight leg, then a second portion. then a third portion. then a fourth portion and then a fifth portion, these portions being such that it is possible for the rail-fastening member to be so placed that the first portion is horizontal and when the railfastening member is viewed from above the third and fifth portions appear to be on opposite sides of the axis of the first portion and the fourth portion crosses and lies above a part of the axis of the first portion which is nearer to said one end of the length of metal than it is to the opposite end of the straight leg. Such a railway railfastening member is referred to below as a railway railfastening member of the character defined.

A railway rail-fastening member of the character defined is disclosed in British Patent Specification No. 861,473. The fourth portion is a reverse bend and the fifth portion extends from it in the general direction towards the junction between the first and second portions. In contrast to that, according to the present invention a railway rail-fastening member of the character defined is such that, when it is placed as indicated above. the fifth portion appears to be substantially perpendicular to said axis, this portion constituting said other end of the length of metal.

Preferably, when the member is placed as indicated above, the second portion rises and then falls again in proceeding from the first portion to the third portion and in proceeding from the third portion to said other end of the length of metal there is a further rise but no fall.

Whether or not this is so, preferably said other end of the length of metal is further from the junction be tween the first and second portions than is any part of the second, third or fourth portions.

Preferably. the second portion, in proceeding from the first portion to the third portion, has a component extending in the direction from said one end of the length of metal to the junction between the first and second portions and subsequently a component in the opposite direction and thereafter, in proceeding from the second portion to said other end of the length of metal, there is no component in the first-mentioned direction.

The examples of rail-fastening members according to the invention which are described below and illustrated in the accompanying drawings have all the abovementioned preferable features.

According to the invention, there is also provided a railway rail and fastening assembly including a flangefooted railway rail resting on a base support having two upwardly extending projections on opposite sides of the rail flange and two rail-fastening members of the character defined and in accordance with the present invention. with or without the features of any one or more of the above three sentences describing preferable features. each having its first portion substantially parallel to the length of the rail and driven in a passage afforded by a respective one of said projections and each having its third portion bearing downwardly upon said base support and its fifth portion holding the rail down.

It is particularly advantageous to use an assembly according to the invention where there is a fish plate joint between the ends of two rails and it is desired to have the joint not between two sleepers but directly above a sleeper or above two sleepers placed side by side, for example with little or no gap between them, because then the fish plates make it impossible to have at the joint rail-fastening members as disclosed in British Patent Specification No. 861,473 bearing upon the rail flange. We now propose to use modified rail-fastening members, according to the invention, bearing downwardly upon shoulders onthe fish plates. An advantageous construction is one in which a single base plate is placed upon two sleepers side by side and with little or no space between them, the ends of the two rails being placed upon the base plate and secured to it with four rail-fastening members according to the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:-

FIG. 1 shows a side view ofa left-hand railway railfastening member of the character defined, taken as indicated by the arrow I in FIG. 2,

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the same rail-fastening member, taken as indicated by the arrow II in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the same rail-fastening member and also shows the directions north, south, east and west,

FIGS. 4 to 6 show views, corresponding to those of FIGS. 1 to 3, respectively, of a right-hand railway rail-fastening member of the character defined,

FIG. 7 shows a side view of a railway rail and fastening assembly employing rail-fastening members according to FIGS. 1 to 6, and

FIGS. 8 and 9 show, respectively, an end view and a plan view of the same assembly.

In FIGS. 1 to 6 the rail-fastening members are shown in the attitudes in which they are actually used, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9.

Each of the two railway rail-fastening members illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6 comprises a length of resilient steel of rod form and of circular cross-section, at least 1 cm. in diameter, which is bent so as to have, progressing from one end a of the length of metal to the other end 12, a first portion 1 which constitutes a substantially straight leg, then a second portion 2, then a third portion 3, then a fourth portion 4 and then a fifth portion 5, the places where the portions 1 and 2, 2 and 3 etc. meet being indicated by the lines 1-2, 2-3 etc. These portions 1 to 5 are such that the rail-fastening member can be placed in a particular position, this being the position illustrated in the drawings, with the portion 1 horizontal and extending from south to north (see FIGS. 3 and 6), the end a of the rail-fastening member being at the south end of the portion 1, and in that position the portion 2 extends, from the portion 1 towards the portion 3, firstly upwardly and at the same time substantially towards the south-east in the case of FIGS. 1 to 3 and substantially towards the south-west in the case of FIGS. 4 to 6, then the second portion extends downwardly and at the same time substantially towards the south-east (FIGS. 1 to 3) or south-west (FIGS. 4 to 6), the portion 3 extends, from the portion 2 to the portion 4, substantially horizontally and substantially towards the south and the portion 4 extends, from the portion 3 to the portion 5, upwardly and at the same time firstly substantially towards the south-west (FIGS. 1 to 3) or south-east (FIGS. 4 to 6) and then substantially towards the west (FIGS. 1 to 3) or east (FIGS, 4 to 6) and the portion 5 extends upwardly and at the same time substantially towards the west (FIGS. 1 to 3) or the east (FIGS. 4 to 6).

It will be seen that in each case when the railfastening member is placed as indicated above, when it is viewed from above the portions 3 to 5 appear to be on opposite sides of the axis of the portion 1 and the portion 4 crosses and lies above that axis. Also, in each case the portion 5 appears to be substantially perpendicular to the axis of the portion 1, this portion 5 constituting the end b of the length of metal. Moreover, the portion 2 rises and then falls again in proceeding from the portion 1 to the portion 3 and in proceeding from the portion 3 to the end 12 there is a further rise but no fall. The end b of the length of metal is further from the junction 1-2 between the portions l and 2 than is any part of the portions 2, 3 and 4. The portion 2, in proceeding from the portion 1 to'the portion 3, has a component extending in'the directionfrom the end a of the length of metal to the junction 1-2 between the portions 1 and 2 and subsequently a component in the opposite direction and thereafter in proceeding from the portion 2 to the end b, thereis no component in the first-mentioned direction.

FIGS. 7 to 9 show two lefthand rail-fastening members 6 according to FIGS. 1 to 3 and two right-hand rail-fastening members 7 according to FIGS. 4 to 6 with their portions 1 driven into passages 8 afforded by upwardly extending projections 9 on a base support in the form of a steel base plate 10 which is secured by screw spikes 11 to two wooden railway sleepers 12A and 128, the two substantially abutting at the line 13. Two rails 14A and 148, to which the portions l are parallel, stand on a resilient pad 15 which is placed on the base plate 10 between the projections 9 and the rails are prevented from moving a substantial distance sideways by the projections 9. The rail 14A is above the sleeper 12A and the rail 14B above the sleeper lZBand the two rails are joined together by two fish plates 16 on opposite sides of their webs l8 and by bolts 19 provided with nuts 20. The portions 5 of the rail-fastening members bear downwardly upon shoulders 17 on the fish plates and thereby hold the rails down.

The rails are of the flat-bottom" type having a broad flange 21 the bottom of which is shown horizontal in FIG. 8 although it may instead slope downwardly from left to right (FIG. 8) at an inclination of, for example, one in forty, on account of the upper surface of the base plate 10 being correspondingly inclined.

I claim:

1. A railway railfastening member comprising a length of resilient metal of rod form which is bent so as to have, progressing from one end of the length of metal to. the other, a first portion in the form of a substantially straight leg, then a second portion, then a third portion, then a fourth portion and then a fifth portion, these portions being such that it is possible forthe rail-fastening member to be so placed that the first portion is horizontal and when the rail-fastening member is viewed from above the third and fifth portions appear to be on opposite sides of the axis of the first portion, the fourth portion crosses and lies above a part of the axis of the first portion which is nearer to said one end of the length of metal than it is to the opposite end of the straight leg and the fifth portion appears to be sub,

I stantially perpendicular to said axis, this portion constituting said other end of the length of metal.

2. A member according to claim l in which, when it is placed as indicated in claim l, the second portion rises and thenfalls again. in proceeding from the first portion to the third portion and in proceeding from the third portion to said other end of the length of metal there is a further rise but no fall.

3. A member according to claim llin which saidother end of the length of metal is further from the junction between the first and second portions than is any part of the second, third or fourth portions.

4. A member according to claim l in which the second portion, in proceeding from the first portion, has

a component extending in the direction from said one end of the length of metal to the junction between the first and second portions and subsequently a component in the opposite direction and thereafter, in proceeding from the second portion to said other end of the length of metal, there is no component in the firstmentioned direction.

5. A railway rail and fastening assembly including a flange-footed railway rail resting on a base support having two upwardly extending projections on opposite sides of the rail flange and two rail-fastening members according to claim ll each having its first portion .substantially parallel to the length of the rail and driven in a passage afforded by a respective one of said projections and each having its third portion bearing downwardly upon said basesupport and its fifth portion holding the rail down.

6. An assembly according to claim 5 in which one of the rail-fastening members comprises a length of resilient metal of rod form which is bent so as to have, progressing from one end of the length of metal to the other, a first portion which constitutes a substantially straight leg, then a second portion, then a third portion, then a fourth portion and then a fifth portion, these portions being such that the rail-fastening member can be placed in a particular position with the first portion horizontal and extending from south to north, said one end of the rail-fastening member being at the south end of the first portion, and in that position the second portion of the rail-fastening member extends, from the first portion towards the third portion, firstly upwardly and at the same time substantially towards the north, then upwardly and at the same timesubstantially towards the south-east, then downwardly and at the same time substantially towards the south-east, the. third portion extends, from the second portion to the fourth portion,

substantially horizontally and substantially towards the.

south and the fourth portion extends, from the third portion to the fifth portion, upwardly and at the same time firstly substantially towards the southwest and then substantially towards the west and the fifth portion extends upwardly and at the same time substantially towards the west, the fourth portion crossing and lying above a part of the axis of the first portion which is nearer to said one of the length of metal than it is to the opposite end of the straight leg, and the other railfastening member comprises a length of resilient metal of rod form which is bent so as to have, progressing from one end of the length of metal to the other, a first.

portion which constitutes a substantially straight leg,

then a second portion, then a third portion, then a.

fourth portion and then a fifth portion, these, portions being such that the rail-fastening member can be placed in a particular position with the first portion horizontal and extending from south to north, said one end of the rail-fastening member being at the south end of the first portion and in that position the second portion of the rail-fastening member extends, from the first portion towards the third portion, firstly upwardly and at the same time substantially towards the north, then upwardly and at the same time substantially towards the south-west, then downwardly and at the same time substantially towards the south-west, the third portion extends, from the second portion to the fourth portion, substantially horizontally and substantially towards the south and the fourth portion extends, from the third portion to the fifth portion, upwardly and at the same time firstly substantially towards the south-east and then substantially towards the east and the fifth portion extends upwardly and at the same time substantially towards the east, the fourth portion crossing and lying above a part of the axis of the first portion which is nearer to said one end of the length of metal than it is to the opposite end of the straight leg.

7. An assembly according to claim 5 and further comprising a second rail placed end-to-end with the first-mentioned rail, two fish plates on opposite sides of the webs of the two rails and joining the two rails together, shoulders on the fish plates and two further railfastening members on opposite sides of the second rail, each said further rail-fastening member comprising a length of resilient metal of rod form which is bent so as to have, progressing from one end of the length of metal to the other, a first portion in the form of a substantially straight leg, then a second portion, then a third portion, then a fourth portion and then a fifth portion, these portions being such that it is possible for the rail-fastening member to be so placed that the first portion is horizontal and when the rail-fastening member is viewed from above the third and fifth portions appear to be on opposite sides of the axis of the first portion, the fourth portion crosses and lies above a part of the axis of the first portion which is nearer to said one end of the straight leg and the fifth portion appears to be substantially perpendicular to said axis, this portion constituting said other end of the length of metal, the fifth portions of the four rail-fastening members bearing downwardly upon said shoulders.

8. An assembly according to claim 7 in which for the two rails there is a single base plate forming said base support which affords passages in which the first portions of all the fastening members are driven.

9. An assembly according to claim 8 in which the base plate is supported by two railway sleepers side by side with substantially no space between them.

10. A railway rail-fastening member comprising a length of resilient metal of rod form which is bent so as to have, progressing from one end of the length of metal to the other, a first portion which constitutes a substantially straight leg, then a second portion, then a third portion, then a fourth portion and then a fifth portion, these portions being such that the rail-fastening member can be placed in a particular position with the first portion horizontal and extending from south to north, said one end of the rail-fastening member being at the south end of the first portion, and in that position the second portion of the rail-fastening member extends, from the first portion towards the third portion,

firstly upwardly and at the same time substantially towards the north, then upwardly and at the same time substantially towards the south-east, then downwardly and at the same time substantially towards the southeast, the third portion extends, from the second portion to the fourth portion, substantially horizontally and substantially towards the south and the fourth portion extends, from the third portion to the fifth portion, upwardly and at the same time firstly substantially towards the, south-west and then substantially towards the west and the fifth portion extends upwardly and at the same time substantially towards the west, the fourth portion crossing and lying above a part of the axis of the first portion which is nearer to said one end of the length of metal than it is to the opposite end of the straight leg.

11. A railway rail-fastening member comprising a length of resilient metal of rod form which is bent so as to have, progressing from one end of the length of metal to the other, a first portion which constitutes a substantially straight leg, then a second portion, then a third portion, then a fourth portion and then a fifth portion, these portions being such that the rail-fastening member can be placed in a particular position with the first portion horizontal and extending from south to north, said one end of the rail-fastening member being at the south end of the first portion, and in that position the second portion of the rail-fastening member extends, from the first portion towards the third portion, firstly upwardly and at the same time substantially towards the north, then upwardly and at the same time substantially towards the south-west, then downwardly and at the same time substantially towards the southwest, the third portion extends, from the second portion to the fourth portion, substantially horizontally and substantially towards the south and the fourth portion extends, from the third portion to the fifth portion, upwardly and at the same time firstly substantially towards the south-east and then substantially towards the east andthe fifth portion extends upwardly and at the same time substantially towards the east, the fourth 7 portion crossing and lying above a part of the axis of the first portion which is nearer to said one end of the length of 'metal than it is to the opposite end of the straight leg. 

1. A railway rail-fastening member comprising a length of resilient metal of rod form which is bent so as to have, progressing from one end of the length of metal to the other, a first portion in the form of a substantially straight leg, then a second portion, then a third portion, then a fourth portion and then a fifth portion, these portions being such that it is possible for the rail-fastening member to be so placed that the first portion is horizontal and when the rail-fastening member is viewed from above the third and fifth portions appear to be on opposite sides of the axis of the first portion, the fourth portion crosses and lies above a part of the axis of the first portion which is nearer to said one end of the length of metal than it is to the opposite end of the straight leg and the fifth portion appears to be substantially perpendicular to said axis, this portion constituting said other end of the length of metal.
 2. A member according to claim 1 in which, when it is placed as indicated in claim 1, the second portion rises and then falls again in proceeding from the first portion to the third portion and in proceeding from the third portion to said other end of the length of metal there is a further rise but no fall.
 3. A member according to claim 1 in which said other end of the length of metal is further from the junction between the first and second portions than is any part of the second, third or fourtH portions.
 4. A member according to claim 1 in which the second portion, in proceeding from the first portion, has a component extending in the direction from said one end of the length of metal to the junction between the first and second portions and subsequently a component in the opposite direction and thereafter, in proceeding from the second portion to said other end of the length of metal, there is no component in the first-mentioned direction.
 5. A railway rail and fastening assembly including a flange-footed railway rail resting on a base support having two upwardly extending projections on opposite sides of the rail flange and two rail-fastening members according to claim 1 each having its first portion substantially parallel to the length of the rail and driven in a passage afforded by a respective one of said projections and each having its third portion bearing downwardly upon said base support and its fifth portion holding the rail down.
 6. An assembly according to claim 5 in which one of the rail-fastening members comprises a length of resilient metal of rod form which is bent so as to have, progressing from one end of the length of metal to the other, a first portion which constitutes a substantially straight leg, then a second portion, then a third portion, then a fourth portion and then a fifth portion, these portions being such that the rail-fastening member can be placed in a particular position with the first portion horizontal and extending from south to north, said one end of the rail-fastening member being at the south end of the first portion, and in that position the second portion of the rail-fastening member extends, from the first portion towards the third portion, firstly upwardly and at the same time substantially towards the north, then upwardly and at the same time substantially towards the south-east, then downwardly and at the same time substantially towards the south-east, the third portion extends, from the second portion to the fourth portion, substantially horizontally and substantially towards the south and the fourth portion extends, from the third portion to the fifth portion, upwardly and at the same time firstly substantially towards the south-west and then substantially towards the west and the fifth portion extends upwardly and at the same time substantially towards the west, the fourth portion crossing and lying above a part of the axis of the first portion which is nearer to said one of the length of metal than it is to the opposite end of the straight leg, and the other rail-fastening member comprises a length of resilient metal of rod form which is bent so as to have, progressing from one end of the length of metal to the other, a first portion which constitutes a substantially straight leg, then a second portion, then a third portion, then a fourth portion and then a fifth portion, these portions being such that the rail-fastening member can be placed in a particular position with the first portion horizontal and extending from south to north, said one end of the rail-fastening member being at the south end of the first portion and in that position the second portion of the rail-fastening member extends, from the first portion towards the third portion, firstly upwardly and at the same time substantially towards the north, then upwardly and at the same time substantially towards the south-west, then downwardly and at the same time substantially towards the south-west, the third portion extends, from the second portion to the fourth portion, substantially horizontally and substantially towards the south and the fourth portion extends, from the third portion to the fifth portion, upwardly and at the same time firstly substantially towards the south-east and then substantially towards the east and the fifth portion extends upwardly and at the same time substantially towards the east, the fourth portion crossing and lying above a part of the axis of the first portion which is nearer to said one end of the length of metal than it is to the opposite end of the straight leg.
 7. An assembly according to claim 5 and further comprising a second rail placed end-to-end with the first-mentioned rail, two fish plates on opposite sides of the webs of the two rails and joining the two rails together, shoulders on the fish plates and two further rail-fastening members on opposite sides of the second rail, each said further rail-fastening member comprising a length of resilient metal of rod form which is bent so as to have, progressing from one end of the length of metal to the other, a first portion in the form of a substantially straight leg, then a second portion, then a third portion, then a fourth portion and then a fifth portion, these portions being such that it is possible for the rail-fastening member to be so placed that the first portion is horizontal and when the rail-fastening member is viewed from above the third and fifth portions appear to be on opposite sides of the axis of the first portion, the fourth portion crosses and lies above a part of the axis of the first portion which is nearer to said one end of the straight leg and the fifth portion appears to be substantially perpendicular to said axis, this portion constituting said other end of the length of metal, the fifth portions of the four rail-fastening members bearing downwardly upon said shoulders.
 8. An assembly according to claim 7 in which for the two rails there is a single base plate forming said base support which affords passages in which the first portions of all the fastening members are driven.
 9. An assembly according to claim 8 in which the base plate is supported by two railway sleepers side by side with substantially no space between them.
 10. A railway rail-fastening member comprising a length of resilient metal of rod form which is bent so as to have, progressing from one end of the length of metal to the other, a first portion which constitutes a substantially straight leg, then a second portion, then a third portion, then a fourth portion and then a fifth portion, these portions being such that the rail-fastening member can be placed in a particular position with the first portion horizontal and extending from south to north, said one end of the rail-fastening member being at the south end of the first portion, and in that position the second portion of the rail-fastening member extends, from the first portion towards the third portion, firstly upwardly and at the same time substantially towards the north, then upwardly and at the same time substantially towards the south-east, then downwardly and at the same time substantially towards the south-east, the third portion extends, from the second portion to the fourth portion, substantially horizontally and substantially towards the south and the fourth portion extends, from the third portion to the fifth portion, upwardly and at the same time firstly substantially towards the south-west and then substantially towards the west and the fifth portion extends upwardly and at the same time substantially towards the west, the fourth portion crossing and lying above a part of the axis of the first portion which is nearer to said one end of the length of metal than it is to the opposite end of the straight leg.
 11. A railway rail-fastening member comprising a length of resilient metal of rod form which is bent so as to have, progressing from one end of the length of metal to the other, a first portion which constitutes a substantially straight leg, then a second portion, then a third portion, then a fourth portion and then a fifth portion, these portions being such that the rail-fastening member can be placed in a particular position with the first portion horizontal and extending from south to north, said one end of the rail-fastening member being at the south end of the first portion, and in that position the second portion of the rail-fastening member extends, from the first portion towards the third portion, firstly upwardly and at the same time substAntially towards the north, then upwardly and at the same time substantially towards the south-west, then downwardly and at the same time substantially towards the south-west, the third portion extends, from the second portion to the fourth portion, substantially horizontally and substantially towards the south and the fourth portion extends, from the third portion to the fifth portion, upwardly and at the same time firstly substantially towards the south-east and then substantially towards the east and the fifth portion extends upwardly and at the same time substantially towards the east, the fourth portion crossing and lying above a part of the axis of the first portion which is nearer to said one end of the length of metal than it is to the opposite end of the straight leg. 